View from the Other Side
by Kamiyashi
Summary: Entangled Series 09. Yami gets the chance to learn more about Kaiba through the eyes of one of his employees. Kaiba is obviously less than thrilled about it... Prideshipping: KxYY
1. Chapter 01: Salutations

**Title: ** View from the Other Side

**Series:** Part 09 of _Entangled_. Takes place approximately a month into the new school year.

**Summary: **Yami gets the chance to learn more about Kaiba through the eyes of one of his employees. Kaiba is obviously less than thrilled about it...

**Pairings:** Kaiba x Yami

**Rating**: Rated **M** for a graphic sexual lemon and language.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ does not and will never belong to me.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter has a **short lemon drop** immediately in italics. **Chapter three **is where all the fun will be, though.

…you know, sometimes I don't know if these serve as warnings or the promise of something to come.

Oh, and if you don't remember who Ogata is, read chapter 29 of _Another Lesson_ as a refresher.

* * *

**Chapter 01: Salutations **

Imperceptibly sighing as he exited the school, Yami felt some of the tension ease from his body as he left it all behind for the day. He had stayed after school to make up a surprise pop quiz that he had missed in algebra earlier in the day, but Yami couldn't stay irritated when he remembered the reason why he had been late to class.

"_Yami, we're going to be late," Kaiba warned as the former pharaoh continued riding him in the abandoned conference room._

_Slamming down hard with a strangled gasp, Yami growled, "Don't fucking care right now."_

"_You should," Kaiba said, although he was secretly amused by Yami's sexual aggression._

_Leaning forward and lowering his voice to a pitch that sent a shudder through Kaiba, Yami murmured, "You should shut up and fucking _move_, Seto."_

_Instead of wasting more time with witty retorts, Kaiba started to stroke Yami's cock, torn between prolonging the pleasure and making it to class on time._

Pulling himself away from the memory before it continued any further, Yami tried to calm himself. He knew that Kaiba had a meeting that was going to run late, so Yami forced himself to behave for his own sake.

Yami was so lost in his own thoughts that he was startled by someone calling out, "You must be Yami."

Instantly on full alert, Yami carefully regarded the handsome twenty-something year old man standing in front of him. He didn't seem to have malicious intentions, but Yami remained on guard as he kept his regal bearings in projected self-assurance. "And you are?" Yami asked as he came to a stop in front of the man.

"Interested," the stranger responded, a glint of playful perversion in his eyes as he smirked at Yami.

Although the boldness of the answer stunned Yami, his demeanor betrayed nothing. He sounded haughty and more than just a little bored as he dismissively said, "I'm not, so—"

Lightly capturing Yami's wrist and pulling him into a one-armed embrace, the man murmured words meant only for the former pharaoh's ears, "Why would you be when you have Kaiba Seto?"

Scarlet eyes went wide in shock before narrowing as his blood ran cold with dread. He didn't know how the man knew such a thing or what he intended to do with the information, but Yami would protect Kaiba and his reputation at any cost. Scoffing at the allegation and freeing himself with an indignant huff, Yami asked, "What are you talking about? And who are you to make such accusations?"

Chuckling at the fiery determination to protect Kaiba, the man smiled comfortingly at Yami as he reassured him, "It's my job to know such things."

"You're a reporter?" Yami asked coldly, his eyes narrowing dangerously in disdain. He had managed to avoid them so far, but Yami knew how much Kaiba despised them.

Laughing at the notion, the man denied, "No, but I take particular pleasure in fending them away from him. He doesn't mind if I get a little…_creative _with them sometimes."

Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, Yami tried to figure out the mystery of the man who was detaining him. "Who are you?" Yami finally demanded outright, realizing he wasn't going to understand otherwise.

"Call me Katsuro," the stranger said with a sensuality that Yami had no doubts had seduced countless men and women alike. "You might know me better as Ogata, though."

It was a name that Yami had heard before and he tried to remember more details surrounding the mysterious revelation. "You work for Kaiba," Yami stated, although he sounded a little unsure of himself.

Raising an eyebrow at Yami's statement, Ogata was a bit surprised that the teen knew that; he hadn't expected Kaiba to openly discuss such things. "That's right," Ogata confirmed, hoping it would lessen Yami's suspicions somewhat. "I'm an investigator of sorts, although I don't work for the Corporation itself."

When Ogata explained his position, Yami suddenly remembered the night in the hotel room when Kaiba had received a call from the man in question about the mysterious stranger that had accosted him. Kaiba obviously trusted Ogata enough to give him his personal cell phone number; the only other employees that did were Isono and the driver. It put Yami at ease somewhat, although he was still confused about why the man had sought him out at random. "Is everything okay?" Yami asked uncertainly, wondering if something had happened to Kaiba.

The flash of concern in Yami's eyes warmed Ogata and the changes in Kaiba were starting to make sense. "Everything's fine, although I'm sure the meeting tonight will put him in a bad mood," Ogata commented with a chuckle. "Then again, they always do, don't they?"

It was true and Yami had to check his instinct to join in the laughter. There was something so refreshingly honest about the man, although Yami suspected he probably drove Kaiba crazy sometimes with his carefree attitude. "Then what do you want with me?" Yami finally questioned, still having some reservations about Ogata's sudden appearance.

"Would you join me for dinner?" Ogata politely invited, grinning when he saw Yami's stunned expression. "I'd like to get to know you without Seto-chan interfering."

The request was so unusual that Yami ended up asking in disbelief, "_Why_?"

Speaking honestly and with an affectionate warmth that intrigued Yami, Ogata explained, "Because you're the reason he's become a better person and it makes me curious. But he's rather…_protective_ of you, so I haven't really had a chance until now to try and meet you."

"Oh," Yami managed to say, blushing slightly from Ogata's words.

"Come on, I'll take you to Sakaguchi-kun's, my treat," Ogata tried to persuade Yami. "I'll even drop you off at the mansion when we're done."

The familiar address of the restaurant owner surprised Yami; he knew how closely Kaiba guarded Sakaguchi and their shared past. "You know Sakaguchi-san?" Yami asked, his resistance starting to fade. It was such a rare opportunity for him to get to meet up with the man and Yami was sorely tempted.

Nodding with a smile, Ogata said, "Yeah, me and the old man know each other very well. He's really quite taken with you, you know."

"Yeah," Yami said with a fondness that made Ogata happy. "I love getting to talk to him."

"Now's your chance," Ogata tried again. "And Seto-chan won't be there to get him to stop telling embarrassing stories…"

"Does Seto know you call him that?"

Smirking, Ogata confirmed, "Oh, he hates it."

"Is that why you do it?" Yami questioned with a knowing look.

"That boy is far too serious for his own good," Ogata commented, silently grateful that Kaiba had started to lighten up over the past few months. "That's changing now, though. Thanks to you."

Flushing slightly and adjusting his bookbag strap's position on his shoulder to mask his embarrassment, Yami was about to agree when Ogata's phone started to ring.

"Speak of the devil," Ogata joked with a laugh as he showed Yami the caller ID before answering it. "Hey, Seto-chan!"

"Don't fucking call me that, asshole!" Kaiba snapped angrily, although it didn't faze Ogata in the least. "Now where the hell are you? You should be here by now!"

Shrugging with a grin that Kaiba couldn't see, Ogata dutifully explained, "Yeah, I changed my mind about that meeting. Something else came up that was far more interesting than a bunch of boring ass suits rambling about whatever corporate drama that doesn't even involve me."

"What the hell does that mean?" Kaiba all but shouted, causing Yami's eyebrows to arch up in surprise as he heard the loudness of the anger through the phone's speaker. "You don't just get to _decide_ that you don't feel like showing up! And trust me, if your presence wasn't required, I wouldn't inflict you upon myself so willingly! So if I tell you that you're supposed to be at the meeting, you damn well should be here!"

"Plans change," Ogata stated with a wink at Yami, completely nonplussed by his boss' rage.

"And what the fuck is so much more important?"

Grinning, Ogata sounded particularly perverse as he replied, "You would know."

The implications of innuendo momentarily confounded Kaiba. "Would I?" Kaiba asked sarcastically, deliberately disregarding Ogata's tone. "Oh, please enlighten me about what would cause you to jeopardize your _job_."

"We both know that you aren't going to fire me," Ogata confidently provoked. "Besides, I'd much rather spend my evening entertaining—"

"Ogata!" Kaiba interrupted menacingly. "Do not _presume_ to think that I won't terminate you for your blatant subordination."

Pouting playfully, Ogata protested, "You're no fun, you know that?"

"I'm not supposed to be _fun_ and _you're_ supposed to be at this fucking meeting!" Kaiba reminded his wayward employee. "Now where the hell are you?"

"Going to send Isono-kun to come get me?" Ogata predicted, knowing Kaiba all too well. "Because he's going to miss me since I'm just getting ready to leave here for my date, so…"

Yami silently mouthed at Ogata in shock, "_Date_?"

Acknowledging Yami with amusement, Ogata moved the phone away from his mouth long enough to softly murmur, "Trust me," so that Kaiba couldn't hear him.

"Tell your slut to wait until after the meeting is over!"

It wasn't the first time that Kaiba had used such crude terms to talk about Ogata's tendency to mess around with a variety of men and women, but it was still a shocking indicator of how riled up the teen was over his flagrant disobedience. "That's a terrible way to talk about your boyfriend," Ogata taunted, hoping that Yami hadn't heard what Kaiba had said.

"I will talk however—wait, _what_ did you just say?" Kaiba interrupted himself to dangerously demand clarification. "Ogata, what have you _done_?"

"Nothing," Ogata denied in a singsong voice that only worsened Kaiba's suspicions, especially since it sounded like there was a silent, "Yet," attached.

"I swear, if you so much as—"

Cutting Kaiba off midsentence, Ogata said, "Oh, relax. I just wanted to get to know him a little better."

There was a long pause of silence before Kaiba finally questioned in a low tone, "Are you implying what I think you are?"

"That I blew you off to have dinner with your boyfriend?"

"_Yes_," Kaiba hissed, the single word sounding almost deadly. It sent a spike of fear through Ogata despite his confidence; sometimes it was easy to forget about that lethally aggressive part of Kaiba that had been lying dormant recently.

"I don't know what you're so worried about," Ogata casually commented. "I'll bring him back to the mansion when I'm done with him, so—"

Kaiba interrupted to threaten, "Don't you dare, you fucking bastard!"

"You'd rather have me take him home?" Ogata purred in a seductive voice that made Yami shiver unintentionally.

_How has Seto not killed him yet?_ Yami wondered, knowing that such behavior must be typical since Kaiba had gotten rather worked up on the last phone call the two men. Gesturing at the phone in a silent request to speak to Kaiba, Ogata mercifully complied.

Kaiba was mid-rant when Yami softly interrupted, "Seto, it's okay."

It took a moment for Kaiba to process that Yami was now speaking to him instead of Ogata. "Has he done anything to you?" Kaiba harshly demanded, his rage still at the forefront of all his interactions.

"No, we're just going to grab dinner and then I'll head back to your place," Yami answered, unsure of why Kaiba was so worked up over the issue. "What's wrong with that?"

"Absolutely not!" Kaiba refused. "I will not allow him—"

"What are you so worried that he'll do to me?" Yami questioned, not missing Ogata's perverted smile.

"Yami, you don't understand."

"Then help me understand," Yami logically requested. "What are you objecting to?"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Kaiba finally said, "I don't want you near him."

"So I've gathered," Yami dryly retorted. "You still haven't explained _why_, though."

Realizing that they would be there all night arguing, Ogata took back his phone in order to address Kaiba once more. "Seto, you have my word, I'm not going to do anything to him. I'm not _that_ stupid and I'd like to wake up alive and employed tomorrow, thanks."

Kaiba didn't like the situation at all, but he was running out of time to argue, otherwise he would be late to the meeting and that was unacceptable. "Ogata, I'm warning you, if you so much as—"

"He's off limits, I know," Ogata interrupted. "Give me _some _credit here."

As much as Kaiba wanted to cancel the meeting so that he could go to Yami, it was impossible and his presence was very much required. Mentally cursing and railing against the situation that Ogata has forced him into, Kaiba promised, "I will deal with your _punishment_ when I'm done here."

"Yes, yes," Ogata said dismissively before hanging up on his irate boss with a self-satisfied smirk. "Well, now that _that's_ out of the way, shall we?"

Before agreeing or refusing, Yami asked, "What is he so concerned that you'll do?"

"I take great pleasure in beauty," Ogata honestly answered with a charming look that Yami felt was hiding a dirty leer. "I have been known to…_express _my appreciation in ways that he would find unacceptable in regards to you."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed," Ogata said with a particularly wicked smirk. "However, despite my behavior on the phone and predilection for perversion, you really have nothing to worry about. It's just too much fun to rile him up sometimes, you know?"

Grinning despite himself, Yami nodded in agreement over Ogata's last statement. "Are you sure this isn't going to get you fired?" Yami asked, somewhat concerned.

"Trust me, if he hasn't fired me yet, he won't do it for this," Ogata reassured the teen. "He's just pissed that I'm getting the chance to have dinner with you while he's stuck with all those boring sycophants talking business. He'll calm down later, I promise."

Yami was more than a little intrigued by the man standing in front of him and the interaction he had just witnessed, which was severely tempting him to go to dinner with Ogata to find out more. Deciding that dining at Sakaguchi's restaurant was too tempting to pass up, Yami finally agreed, "Then let's get going. I'm _starved_."

* * *

**A/N:** Not a whole lot to add to this, other than it's currently looking like it'll be three chapters long instead of the original one I projected.

But hey, at least it's not another drabble?

**NEXT CHAPTER: Untitled**

_Dinner and a show?_

I'll post something on **Sunday, June 7th**. It might be this, it might be _Offerings_, or it might be the next part of _Anywhen, Anywhere_. So keep an eye out for whatever goes up next!

Also, review replies will be sent out as soon as I get home tonight. I'm once again horribly behind, so please forgive this authoress who keeps trying to balance everything. XD


	2. Chapter 02: Interruptions

**Chapter 02: Interruptions  
**

"So you met in the orphanage?" Yami asked in surprise, looking across the table at Ogata with curiosity.

Smiling fondly as he thought of Kaiba when he was much younger and far angrier, Ogata nodded as he confirmed, "Yeah, although it feels like so long ago."

Even though Yami felt bad for asking, he was dying to know, "What was he like back then?"

"The Little Prince didn't exactly fit in," Ogata recalled with a laugh, remembering the constant undercurrent of mild disdain that Kaiba always viewed the other orphans with in the home. "It was only once he realized that his terrible attitude was impacting Mokuba's ability to make friends that Seto tried to change."

"Makes sense," Yami commented, remembering what Kaiba had been like when they first met during their first duel. "He'd do anything for Mokuba."

"Yeah," Ogata agreed, knowing all too well how much Kaiba had scarified for Mokuba's benefit, "but that just meant he tried to lay low instead of attempting to fit in."

Given the lack of friends in Kaiba's life and his insistence that he didn't have a use for such things, Yami could understand it, even if he thought it was incredibly sad. "How did you become…well, I don't know if 'friends,' is the right term, but…?" Yami tried to ask with a slight furrowing of his eyebrows in frustration over terminology.

Laughing at Yami's difficulties, Ogata took a sip of his wine before he answered, "I used to play chess with him and yes, he was an asshole about it back then, too."

"Competitive?" Yami guessed, knowing that Kaiba had a tendency to take games too seriously.

"Being competitive, acting like a dick, being a general ass about it, whatever you want to call it," Ogata joked, although they both knew that there was an element of truth in it. "It was still more fun than I had before he showed up, that's for damn sure."

"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would willingly keep in touch once he left the orphanage, though," Yami mused, finding that point very odd.

Grinning at Yami's train of thought, Ogata confirmed, "He's not. I'm just more curious and stubborn than most of the other people that he's come across over the years."

Shaking his head slightly at that, Yami said, "That sounds an awful lot like you deciding to stalk him, you know."

"I left the orphanage shortly after Seto was adopted," Ogata started to explain. "I was curious about what had happened to him after getting picked up by that absolute piece of shit bastard."

It was the first time in their entire encounter that Ogata's jovial countenance hardened with hatred and it was a stunning sight to Yami. "So you sought him out?" Yami asked, deciding against getting into details about Gozaburo.

The hatred quickly faded into sadness and not for the first time did Yami wonder about how much of Kaiba's past he was still in the dark over. "In a manner of speaking," Ogata confirmed, but the brightness was gone from his voice. "I was watching over some of that bastard's more shady dealings in the hopes of finding something to bring him down."

"To free Seto?" Yami guessed, not quite understanding the specifics of what Ogata meant.

Nodding in confirmation, Ogata continued, "My father worked for that asshole at one point and was forced into suicide by the failure of a product, essentially. So if I could avenge my father and free the Princes from that asshole, I figured it was worth the risk."

"I'm sorry to hear about your father," Yami offered, finding it extraordinary how someone with so much brightness seemed to have come from the depths of darkness.

Waving away Yami's concerns, Ogata reassured him, "It's all in the past, don't worry about it."

"Still," Yami insisted, genuine emotions in his eyes.

Smiling appreciatively at Yami, Ogata got a whole new level of understanding at how the teen had won over Kaiba's heart. "But yeah, I was keeping tabs on the bastard and that's how I found out about what Seto was trying to do."

"What was he trying to do?" Yami asked, accepting the shift back onto topic.

"Buy up company shares so that he could have the primary controlling interests in Kaiba Corporation," Ogata answered. "I noticed and started providing tips as subtly as I could."

"Did Seto know it was you?"

Laughing with some of the lightness returning to his voice, Ogata said, "Not at first and he was so pissed when he found out later!"

"Let me guess: 'I don't need your help, I can do it myself,' kind of protest?" Yami dryly questioned, knowing that Kaiba was the kind of person who would rather do it all on his own instead of relying on another to help him achieve his goal.

"Exactly," Ogata stated with another chuckle. "He thought I was invalidating his need to do it all on his own or something, but eventually he got over it. I've worked for him ever since, although it's definitely a decision he questions from time to time."

"Considering the way you act, how has he _not_ fired you?" Yami asked, having seen plenty of reasons to let Ogata go just in their limited interactions.

Grinning roguishly, Ogata answered, "Even though I annoy the hell out of him, I keep him entertained, if nothing else."

A quiet knock on the door disturbed the pair, but they both brightened when Sakaguchi entered with a happy smile. "Am I interrupting anything?" Sakaguchi teased, hugging Yami before embracing Ogata and roughing up his hair. "You know Seto-chan's going to kill you for this, right?"

"Oh, but it's _so_ worth it!" Ogata insisted with another laugh and an impish wink in Yami's direction.

"Well, when he comes busting in here to kick your ass, don't expect this old man to step in the middle of it," Sakaguchi playfully warned, having no doubts that Kaiba would do such a thing.

"Can't say I don't deserve it," Ogata commented, the grin never leaving his face.

"Is he really going to be that pissed?" Yami questioned, even though he had a suspicion that he was understating things.

Taking a seat at the table, Sakaguchi instructed Yami, "Just don't take it personally. You know how protective Seto-chan is and how he hates to not be in control of a situation. He just tends to be a little more…rough and tumble when he deals with Katsuro-chan."

Yami didn't understand what Sakaguchi meant by that and it really didn't help when Ogata grinned perversely, earning him a reprimanding, "And you don't do yourself any favors, Katsuro-chan."

"He acts like I've stolen a lover from him in the past or something," Ogata defended himself with a shrug. "I don't understand why he's getting so worked up about it."

"You should still know better, ne?" Sakaguchi pointed out. "Or are you just in the mood to have the tar beat out of you by him?"

"Pffft, like he could take me," Ogata said with mock conceitedness. "I've wiped the floor with him plenty of times."

Yami was completely lost and it showed on his face. Before either one of them could clarify, the door slammed open and Yami winced at the sound. Kaiba angrily strode into the room, sparing Yami only a cursory assessment glance before he glared murderously at Ogata.

"Oh, is your meeting over?" Ogata asked in an innocent voice, succeeding in pushing Kaiba over the edge.

In an instant, Kaiba had seized Ogata by the throat and hauled him out of the chair to pin him against the wall with a growl. Yami was still in shock over the maliciously violent air surrounding Kaiba and he tried to stand up to intercede, but was stopped by Sakaguchi's hand. When Yami looked questioningly at him and started to protest, Sakaguchi merely shook his head and gestured for Yami to sit with a whispered reassurance, "It's fine, trust me."

Even though Yami didn't think so, he did as he was told and sat back down, watching tensely as Kaiba viciously demanded, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Seemingly nonplussed at being violently pinned to a wall, Ogata replied, "Pissing you off, apparently."

Tightening his grip and smirking in satisfaction when Ogata made a quiet noise of discomfort, Kaiba looked positively lethal as he promised, "You will pay for this, asshole."

"Give me some credit," Ogata said before pushing off of the wall and sending them both to the ground, "I was fully intending on paying for dinner."

"You will do no such thing!" Kaiba hissed, further incensed by being pinned under Ogata.

"Why, because it's too much like taking your boyfriend out on a real date?" Ogata joked, not the least bit surprised to find himself flipped over and staring up at Kaiba.

Before Kaiba could retort, Ogata started to laugh in earnest, causing the teen to furrow his eyebrows. "What's so funny?" Kaiba asked, finding nothing humorous in the situation.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it, Seto-chan?" Ogata teased.

Even though the logical part of Kaiba's mind knew that Ogata was referencing their past as sparring partners, his body instinctually responded to the memory of Bakura asking the same question while pinning him to a wall. Acting without realizing it, Kaiba backhanded Ogata hard across the face, startling himself with his own reaction.

Yami was on his feet and ready to break things up before they got worse, but Sakaguchi gently pulled him back down, even though he himself was concerned. Kaiba almost looked shell-shocked at his actions and Ogata took advantage of the teen's distraction to effortlessly reverse their positions once more.

"I expected to get punched for stealing Yami for the night, but I never thought _that_ would be the comment that would get me hit," Ogata mused as probed the inside of his mouth with his tongue and tasted the slightest hint of blood. "Either you're getting soft on me because you're so fond of me or you're slacking off on your training. There was a time where that would have knocked me out cold."

"I wish it had," Kaiba muttered, but all of the fight was gone from him as he withdrew into himself.

"What happened?" Ogata questioned, his expression once again turning serious as he studied his boss.

A spark of irritation flared in Kaiba's ice cold eyes before he spat, "You wouldn't have to ask if you had been at the meeting like you were supposed to."

Shrugging, Ogata said, "Fine, don't tell me. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. All I care about is whether or not you'll agree to start sparring with me again. I know you love getting the chance to have a legitimate excuse to try and beat the shit out of me."

"With as many people as you manage to piss off on a regular basis, you don't need my assistance in that area," Kaiba growled, tightening his hands into fists in agitation at still being held captive.

"Come on, it's good stress reliever," Ogata tried to entice Kaiba.

"If you weren't causing me so much stress, I wouldn't need to relieve myself of it," Kaiba argued, finally expending enough energy to free himself.

Pouting in disappointment, Ogata followed Kaiba over to the table as he continued his attempts to convince his employer, "You could bring Yami to the doujo, it'd be fun! He could watch as we—"

Immediately interrupting with a firm, "No," Kaiba could have cursed when he saw the spark of interest in Yami's eyes at the possibility.

"So you two used to train together?" Yami asked, trying to subtly assess how Kaiba was doing. Standing by and watching without interfering had been difficult for Yami, but he could at least understand now why Sakaguchi had stopped him.

"Yeah, and he looks ridiculously hot in a kendo outfit, let me tell you," Ogata said with a flirtatious wink, surprised when he received nothing but a growl from Kaiba for his comment. "Despite his build, he wears traditional Japanese clothing surprisingly well."

"Shut the hell up, Ogata!" Kaiba snapped, not in the mood for such a discussion.

Although Yami's interest was piqued by the possibilities of Kaiba in a kimono, he refrained from saying anything on the topic; there was no point in antagonizing the already agitated teen. Despite Yami's silence, Kaiba wasn't oblivious to the intrigued look in his crimson eyes and it took a concentrated effort not to flush in embarrassment.

Feeling the need to intercede before things got worse, Sakaguchi explained, "Katsuro-chan was one of the rare people who wasn't afraid to go all out against Seto-chan when it came to a fight."

"As for you, how could you—" Kaiba started to ask before Sakaguchi interrupted him.

"I just got here, so there's very little I could have done," Sakaguchi defended himself, relieved when Kaiba sat down at the table finally. "Although if you brought Yami-chan around more, I wouldn't have to rely on Katsuro-chan's failed kidnapping attempts to see him, ne?"

Kaiba was still more than a little irritable and Yami wanted to do something to make it better, but he was extremely limited in what he could do with witnesses present. As close as the other two men were to Kaiba, Yami doubted his boyfriend would take very well to any sort of public display of affection or comfort. "How did you know we were here?" Yami asked, pleased to see that the fierce irritation from earlier was gone.

"It just seemed like something he would do," Kaiba muttered, although he had initially questioned whether it was too obvious of a destination. Initially he had wondered if Ogata would have taken Yami to an unknown restaurant so that they couldn't be followed, but then Kaiba realized that maybe that was what his employee wanted him to think to throw him off the trail. Trusting his gut instinct, Kaiba had gone to Sakaguchi's restaurant and he had immediately noticed Ogata's car, confirming his suspicions.

Ever the peacemaker, Sakaguchi offered, "Are you too full for dessert or would you like to join us, Seto-chan?"

"I don't want anything," Kaiba declined, the thought of food the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

"Are we leaving soon?" Yami asked, the disappointment in his voice; he had been looking forward to dessert.

"No, get whatever you want," Kaiba answered, abruptly standing up and exiting the room without another word.

Yami looked mildly vexed at Kaiba's behavior and Ogata took pity on the teen and explained, "He's probably pissed at himself for losing his cool like that in front of you."

Nodding in agreement, Sakaguchi added, "He'll be fine once he's had some time to compose himself, honest."

Still uncertain, Yami hesitated on what to do. He knew that Kaiba probably just needed some time to himself to calm down, but Yami still couldn't suppress the need to see him and make sure everything was okay. Almost as if sensing Yami's internal debate, Sakaguchi said, "Try third door from the right; he usually sneaks off there when he needs some quiet."

Shooting the older man a grateful look, Yami thanked him before quickly vacating his seat and leaving in search of Kaiba. Once the door closed, Ogata burst out laughing as he cooed, "That's almost too cute."

"You're terrible," Ogata reprimanded him, although there was laughter in his eyes.

"Eh, I got off easy since Yami was here," Ogata said, rubbing his cheek where Kaiba had backhanded him. "Although that surprised me, I have to admit."

Some of his mirth fading away, Sakaguchi asked, "Something else triggered that."

"For half a second, he almost looked petrified," Ogata commented as he reflected on that look. "I have no clue what caused that, but he looked just as shocked that he hit me, I swear."

Feeling an almost paternal need to protect Kaiba from further harm, Sakaguchi could only sigh, "All in due time, I suppose," before he stood to summon the waiter and place the rest of their order.

* * *

Standing outside of the door and debating whether or not to knock, Yami took a deep breath and entered the darkened room. Squinting as his eyes adjusted to the dimness, Yami shut the door behind him and saw Kaiba sitting on the couch with an angry glare aimed his way.

Undeterred, Yami walked over to Kaiba and stood before him, never breaking eye contact. "Are you mad at me?" Yami asked in an even tone when Kaiba said nothing about his intrusion.

"No, maybe—I don't know," Kaiba muttered, unable to keep looking up at Yami. Resting his elbows on his knees, Kaiba hid his face in his hands, taking a deep breath to calm himself; lashing out at Yami would do him no good.

Gracefully dropping to his knees, Yami took Kaiba's hands in his and gently moved them away in an attempt to reestablish contact. "I didn't do it to upset you," Yami defended himself softly, gently rubbing his thumb against the back of Kaiba's palm in subtle reassurance.

"Then why did you?" Kaiba demanded, some of the vehemence returning to his voice, although he didn't jerk away from the Yami's loose grip.

"Why is it such a problem?" Yami countered, still not understanding.

Kaiba opened his mouth to make an angry retort, but he thought better of it and said nothing as he averted his gaze once more. "It just is," Kaiba mumbled, frustrated by his own behavior.

"Were you worried that he would tell me something?" Yami guessed, figuring that was one of Kaiba's primary concerns, given the nature of their shared past.

Narrowing his eyes in irritation, Kaiba refused to admit that there was some part of him that was bothered by the idea. Instead of answering the question posed, Kaiba growled, "He's a shameless pervert who doesn't give a shit about the consequences of his actions, Yami!"

"It's not like he did anything inappropriate," Yami defended Ogata.

"Define inappropriate," Kaiba shot back, knowing their interpretation of the word was vastly different.

"It wasn't like he—wait, are you _jealous_?" Yami realized mid-thought, his suspicion confirmed when he saw the faintest blush on Kaiba's cheek. "You are, aren't you?"

Although it wasn't a conscious thought, something inside of Kaiba burned almost painfully when he thought of anyone else being near Yami and out of his sight—especially someone as perverse as Ogata. "_No_," Kaiba angrily denied, refusing to admit to such a pathetic emotion. "Now get off of the floor, this is ridiculous."

Shrugging at the command, Yami offered no resistance as Kaiba pulled him up off of the floor and onto his lap. Kaiba wrapped his arms around Yami's slender waist and held him tightly, breathing deeply to take in his scent, relaxing slightly at the familiarity of comfort when the embrace was returned. Yami indulged himself in a sweet kiss, pleased when Kaiba finally started to respond. "It's not like you have anything to worry about anyway," Yami reassured Kaiba, smiling impishly at him.

"Whatever," Kaiba said dismissively, not willing to pursue the issue any further.

Resting his head on Kaiba's shoulder, Yami chuckled in amusement, but said nothing else. He could feel Kaiba slowly starting to relax beneath him and it pleased Yami; there were still many hours before the night was over and he didn't want it spoiled by such things.

There was something calming about holding Yami in the surrounding silence and Kaiba sighed contentedly, although he was still holding onto some residual irritation at Ogata and the meeting. Even though Kaiba wanted nothing more to linger with Yami in the sanctuary of privacy, he knew that the longer they were alone together, the worse the ribbing was going to be when they returned to the two men. With such thoughts in mind, Kaiba eventually murmured, "You should probably go if you don't want your dessert to melt."

The reminder of food was almost enough to make Yami's stomach growl, but he wasn't willing to leave Kaiba just yet. "Are you joining us?" he hesitantly asked as he straightened up to look at Kaiba once more.

"Yeah," Kaiba consented with a sigh, sounding less than pleased.

"Even if it's just so you can keep an eye on Katsuro, I'm still glad," Yami teased before getting off of Kaiba's lap to stand.

"_Katsuro_?" Kaiba repeated with disgust, not missing the playful glint in Yami's eyes.

"What's wrong with that?" Yami asked in a mock innocent tone. "It _is_ his name after all."

Capturing Yami's wrist and pulling him closer, Kaiba initiated a possessive kiss, feeling the former pharaoh's smirk against his lips. It spurred Kaiba on and made him want to leave a visible claiming mark to warn off Ogata, but he resisted the urge; he had other ways to retaliate against his disobedient employee when Yami wasn't there to interfere. Besides, even though Ogata was infuriating, Kaiba knew that he could trust the man's word when it came to certain things. Nipping Yami's lower lip in silent reprimand, it was Kaiba's turn to smirk when he saw the lustful blaze of crimson staring intensely up at him.

"Fine, fine," Yami conceded with a laugh, shaking his head over Kaiba's form of retaliation.

Before Yami opened the door to leave, he was startled to feel Kaiba pull him close long enough to say in a seductive whisper, "Just remember the quicker you finish, the quicker we can leave and get on with the rest of our night," before letting him go.

Moaning despite himself, Yami growled half-heartedly when Kaiba chuckled softly at his reaction. Attempting to push down his desire, Yami mentally composed himself before exiting with a parting shot, "I'll keep that in mind…"

They left the small office together and headed back to the private dining room where the other two men were catching up with one another. Yami squeezed Kaiba's hand reassuringly before letting go and entering the room as casually as possible, rolling his eyes at Ogata's knowing smirk.

"That was faster than I thought," Ogata purred suggestively, laughing as he dodged a playful punch from Sakaguchi over the comment.

"Don't even start," Kaiba snapped, taking a seat at the table with a warning look aimed at Ogata.

"Aww," Ogata cooed condescendingly, "I think it's sweet."

"I think you're an—"

Interrupting Kaiba before he could finish insulting Ogata, Sakaguchi chided, "Come on, that's enough out of you two. Let's just enjoy dessert, ne?"

Humming his agreement, Ogata ceased his provocations and allowed the conversation to slide into more benign territories for the time being with Sakaguchi moderating it with the ease of experience. Kaiba eventually allowed himself to relax enough to sample the dessert, although he was still rather anxious to get on with the rest of his evening without further interruptions.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, it's been ages since I've updated this one. Does anyone even still remember this one? Even I can't believe how long it's been...

As I stated earlier, the next chapter is where this fic earns its rating.

**NEXT CHAPTER: Untitled**

_Alone together and then…_

Next update should go up on **Sunday, August 23rd**, hopefully! As seems to be my frustrating new habit, I'm not really sure what will get posted next, but I hope you enjoy it!


	3. Chapter 03: Reconciliations

**A/N:** After a ridiculously long delay, this concluding chapter is a **long lemon**, so please enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 03: Reconciliations **

Yami said nothing as they entered the apartment, although he was curious for the change in plans for returning to the mansion. They hadn't spoken much in the car ride over; anything more than a monosyllabic answer from Kaiba was an accomplishment. He knew that Kaiba was still irritated by his decision to go to dinner with Ogata, but Yami wasn't going to apologize for it—after all, he had done nothing wrong.

The primary reason for Kaiba's silence was that he was trying to get his emotions under control. He knew that he shouldn't lash out at Yami when he was really upset at Ogata, but inside he was still seething over everything—the dinner meeting that had gone badly, Ogata's presumptuousness, Yami's refusal to listen, Sakaguchi's involvement in the whole thing, the fact that Bakura had managed to get to him that badly, and his own shameful behavior. It was all just begging for an outlet and Kaiba almost regretted not taking up Ogata's offer to spar; it would have been an ideal release for all the anger and irritation he was currently suffering from at the moment.

Even after they entered the apartment, Kaiba still said nothing to Yami; he just stalked over to the fridge to get some water. When Kaiba gestured to see if Yami wanted any for himself, the former pharaoh snapped, "Now you're just being ridiculous, Seto."

"Hn," was the only answer Kaiba bothered to give, finally succeeding in pushing Yami over the edge.

"What is your problem?" Yami demanded, completely frustrated by Kaiba's demeanor. "This can't all just be because I had dinner with Katsuro."

"Ogata," Kaiba corrected, not wanting to hear the level of familiarity the two had developed in his absence.

"_Seriously_?" Yami indignantly questioned. "You're seriously going to tell me what to address my friends by? What's next, you're going to say who I can and can't be friends with?" Sure, Yami knew that he was blowing things way out of proportion with his argument, but it wasn't like Kaiba was being much better about the whole thing.

Placing the water back in the fridge after taking a sip and walking back over to Yami, Kaiba murmured, "If that was the case, you wouldn't see the mutt," before roughly kissing Yami.

Shoving Kaiba off of him, Yami growled in anger, "Knock it off!"

Rather than listening, Kaiba just kissed Yami with more force; after all, if his mouth was otherwise occupied, he couldn't talk such nonsense. Once again, Yami pushed Kaiba away from him and rephrased his previous question, "What the hell is your problem, Seto?"

"You won't shut up," Kaiba replied with a smirk before once again attempting to kiss Yami senseless.

When Yami attempted to push away again, Kaiba grabbed his rival by the waist and crushed him closer, refusing to let him go. It irritated Yami and he continued his struggle, nipping at Kaiba's tongue to try and dissuade him. The attempt backfired and Kaiba continued dominating the kiss, enjoying the roughness in a way he had shied away from ever since the night he had pushed Yami too far.

As much as Yami didn't want to enjoy it, his body was too well attuned to Kaiba's to reject the harsher pleasure. "Damn it, Seto!" Yami snapped, but he was breathless from Kaiba's efforts. "What—?"

Rather than continuing to listen to Yami repeat himself, Kaiba interrupted his indignation by stripping his rival of his shirt. He laughed callously at Yami's undignified sound of protest, causing the former pharaoh to fume angrily at the way he was being treated. Kaiba started backing them toward the bedroom, but Yami continued fighting against it. "No, damn it! I want to talk about—"

"And I'd rather fuck you," Kaiba vulgarly interrupted before slamming Yami against the wall to ravish him properly.

To say that Yami was shocked was an understatement and his objection was stolen away in the next insistent kiss. Yami was annoyed by the way his body mindlessly rutted against Kaiba's thigh that had worked its way between his. The whole thing left him so conflicted; part of him was deeply angered by the treatment, but the other half of him was completely turned on by what was happening. There had always been something thrilling about the darker side of Kaiba, even if Yami knew from experience that he could easily get burned by that same passion. It was tempting to give in to what was happening, but Yami's pride demanded that he continue putting up some sort of fight.

When Yami's hands started to put some distance between them once more, Kaiba captured his wrists and used them to completely pin his rival against the wall. The action brought their bodies even closer together and Kaiba smirked when he felt Yami's growing hardness between them. "That doesn't mean anything," Yami muttered, pressing himself closer to the wall as if that would somehow make a difference.

"Bullshit," Kaiba replied, finally moving on to Yami's neck with a kiss that was disconcertingly tender by comparison to his previous actions.

Sighing in irritation, Yami retorted, "No, what's bullshit is how you're acting,"

"Would you rather have me stop?" Kaiba murmured in a lower tone, the one that was devastatingly sexy and made Yami weak in the knees every time. Yami's body shivered in pleasure as Kaiba started to suck on his earlobe while grinding against him.

Yami accidentally keened low in his throat, sounding more than a little needy as his body continued to respond to Kaiba. "Was that a no?" Kaiba pressed, lightly tugging on Yami's earlobe with his teeth.

"Don't think this gets you out of the conversation," Yami warned, even as he conceded for the time being. Even though Yami knew that Ogata was an issue that needed to be dealt with, it wasn't like Kaiba was willing to listen at the moment.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Kaiba muttered sarcastically, stepping away from Yami and confusing the teen.

Unbuttoning his shirt as he walked into the bedroom, Kaiba threw his suit jacket and shirt to the floor. Although Yami was puzzled by the sudden switch in pace, he followed Kaiba into the room, turning on the light as he did so. Figuring that he was too committed to stop halfway, Yami walked over to Kaiba and started to undo his belt buckle. Quickly sliding it from the loops, it released with a resounding crack that made Kaiba instinctively flinch from the accompanying memories that he tried to push down as immediately as they had surfaced.

The action hadn't gone unnoticed by Yami and he looked up at Kaiba questioningly, unable to ask what he wanted. Kaiba took the belt from Yami's hands and threw it aside, not willing to dwell on the matter anymore than he already had. Instead, he started to work Yami out of his pants, even as the scarlet eyed teen was toeing off his socks at the same time.

Before Yami could return the favor, Kaiba was already naked and pressing their bodies closer, reassuring himself with the contact. Hiding his face in Yami's hair, Kaiba took a moment to collect himself, nuzzling his lover they embraced. Yami was completely confused by the change in demeanor and his mind was trying to find the connection between the aggressive and almost reverent way he was being treated. Wrapping his arms around Kaiba, Yami held him tightly; he didn't need to understand to know what was needed from him.

They stood that way for a time, even though part of Yami's mind was objecting at how utterly ridiculous it was. It didn't stop him from stroking the back of Kaiba's neck in an unspoken attempt at comfort, making Yami smile when the action was silently acquiesced to. "Seto…?" Yami hesitantly asked, looking for some sort of hint as to what he should do next.

It made Kaiba aware of his lapse in judgment and he pulled back just enough to kiss Yami once more, insistently demanding entrance into his mouth. Pleased when Yami offered no resistance, Kaiba once again started backing them toward the bed, his actions getting more frenzied with every step, as if there had never been any break in their actions at all. It confused the hell out of Yami, but he wasn't given long to think about it when the back of his knees hit bumped against the bed.

Roughly pushing Yami onto the bed, Kaiba was on him in an instant, once again claiming him in a demanding kiss. Every time Yami tried to protest that they should move up further on the bed, he wasn't given the chance to say anything. It was only when Kaiba stopped to get the lube that Yami had the chance to move closer to the headboard before the brunette was back on top of him.

Yami was surprised when he felt Kaiba's slicked fingers circling his opening, slowly teasing him with what was to come. Kissing Yami's inner thigh, Kaiba slid in a finger, his normal objections absent from his mind. The feral part of Kaiba's mind was growling that Yami was his to claim and nobody—especially not Ogata—was going to take him away. Even though the rational part of Kaiba knew that Ogata wasn't stupid enough to try and take Yami for his own, there was that small insecure part of Kaiba that wouldn't be soothed by logic. People had always tried to take everyone and everything important to Kaiba away and he wouldn't have peace of mind until he was buried to the hilt in Yami, the place where only he belonged.

Yami's own impatience was building as Kaiba slowly stretched him while kissing his thighs, his hips, anywhere except where the former pharaoh really wanted to be touched. Making tiny noises of frustration as his body instinctively moved with Kaiba's fingers, Yami shuddered when he felt a ghosting touch by the place that would make him moan.

When Kaiba finally deemed Yami to be ready, he withdrew his fingers and scowled when he realized he had nothing to wipe them off with, causing his rival to snicker knowingly. "Oh, shut up," Kaiba muttered as he got up to go grab a towel; maid service wasn't as frequent at the apartment since he rarely used it and he didn't want to risk the sheets staining in the interim.

Bringing the towel with him when he returned to the bedroom, Kaiba dropped it on the floor and took a moment to appreciate the view of Yami sprawled on the bed, flushed with want as he softly keened for more. It was enough to get Kaiba to act and he once again crawled on top of Yami, his mind feeling a little bit clearer.

The moment didn't last long; it disappeared as soon as he was surrounded by Yami's welcoming warmth and Kaiba existed on instincts. Although he started off slow, when Kaiba felt Yami wrap his legs around his waist, he sped up to a harder and faster pace. It was a release for all of his former conflicts and it was a hell of a lot more satisfying than pummeling the shit out of Ogata.

Yami gasped at the strength Kaiba was using, his body arching under the intensity. After dealing with a more restrained Kaiba for so long, it was a welcome pleasure and Yami moaned his approval as he held on and shuddered. He cried out, "Seto," when Kaiba shifted his hips just so and struck that place deep inside Yami and it seemed to spur the brunette on even more.

"_Yes_," Kaiba hissed, loving the sound of his name on Yami's lips in a moment of pleasure.

As they continued, it became harder to Yami to form words and he was reduced to loud moans and broken words, eventually encouraging, "More," and almost shouting when he got what he asked for and then some. It drew sounds out of Kaiba that he normally refrained from making and Yami could only hope the neighbors downstairs couldn't hear them, but he was too far gone to truly care.

Kaiba found himself growling Yami's name with an aggressive need that was feeding off of his physical ache, a ridiculous need to be even closer to Yami than he already was. Even after Yami came hard while calling out, "Seto," it still wasn't enough for Kaiba. He was fueling his everything into his actions, gripping Yami's hips with an almost bruising force, but there wasn't a single protest uttered.

Kaiba finally climaxed with Yami's name on his lips before finally collapsing with a satisfied moan, having enough wherewithal not to crush his rival under his weight. Although Yami finally put his legs down on the bed, he continued embracing Kaiba, his hands stroking in an absentminded pattern.

When Kaiba said nothing, Yami teased, "Feel better now?"

"Mm," Kaiba muttered as he pulled out and further settled against Yami's side. It was an unusual position since normally it was Yami who was curled up on him, but Kaiba didn't feel like moving just yet. Instead, he just draped his free arm over Yami's chest and sighed softly, closing his eyes as he tried to gather his bearings.

As the minutes passed, Yami was afraid that Kaiba was going to fall asleep, despite how ridiculous the concept might have been. Trying to stir Kaiba, Yami softly said, "Seto," and felt a little bad when it caused the brunette to sigh heavily.

"I know I'm being ridiculous," Kaiba muttered. "I don't need you to say anything."

"I just want to understand," Yami explained, lightly running his hand along Kaiba's arm.

It was too weird to have that kind of conversation in such a position, so Kaiba rolled away onto his back, even though a tiny part of him was protesting over giving up such comfort. "I hate him. What's so hard to understand about that?"

Turning onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow to better see Kaiba, Yami pointed out, "You don't _actually_ hate him."

"He's fucking irritating," Kaiba growled, giving Yami an annoyed glare for not believing him. "He just doesn't know when to quit running off his mouth."

"It's not like he said anything about you," Yami tried to reassure Kaiba.

"Bullshit," Kaiba immediately refuted. "You seriously expect me to believe that in all of those hours, I never came up?"

Even though it was inappropriate, Yami couldn't hold back his laughter. Yami knew what Kaiba had meant by his statement, but it sounded to egotistical that it was too amusing not to react. Kaiba looked rather put out over the reaction and Yami started to apologize, "I'm sorry, it's just that—"

"You know what I meant," Kaiba snapped, not placated by Yami's kiss on his cheek.

Straddling himself over Kaiba, Yami looked down at him with fondness as he continued trying to rectify the damage from his rash reaction, "I do, but the way that sounded—"

"I know how it sounded!"

Frowning slightly at Kaiba's tone, Yami asked, "So what's the real problem?"

While it was true that Kaiba was primarily angry about Ogata, it didn't help that his meeting had gone poorly. It never failed to piss off Kaiba when people refused to take him seriously because of his age, although it made it all the more satisfying to crush them in the end. So to have Ogata blow him off and then have Yami treat it like nothing, Kaiba couldn't stamp out his ego's reaction to the multiple slights. "I didn't mean to take it out on you," Kaiba finally apologized, surprising them both with his begrudging admission.

It was more than Yami had been expecting, despite the fact that it didn't exactly answer his question. "Look, all he told me was where you met, how you used to play chess together, and that he started working for you despite you not wanting him to," Yami told Kaiba, hoping it would ease whatever he was so worried about Ogata revealing. "It's not like I was trying to use him to find out anything about you, Seto."

Even though it annoyed him to admit it, Kaiba knew that Yami wasn't the kind of person to try and pry information out of someone else; he was too respectful and honorable for that. It still didn't stop his instant reaction, but it was stranger for Kaiba to recognize the trust he had in Yami in that regard. "The past should stay in the past," Kaiba muttered, wishing not for the first time that he could relegate Ogata there for good some days. "He's just…an unpleasant reminder."

"Of your time at the orphanage?" Yami hesitantly asked, having never really spoken of the topic with Kaiba to know how he would react.

"Mm," Kaiba confirmed, but said no more on the subject. What else was there to say?

"Despite the way he acts, he would do anything for you," Yami found himself defending Ogata for lack of anything else to add.

Sneering slightly, Kaiba snorted, "I'm sure," knowing just what types of things Ogata would like to do to him if given the chance. _The bastard doesn't exactly do subtle_, he thought with a mental roll of his eyes for good measure.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yami questioned, feeling like he was missing something crucial that would explain Kaiba's tone.

Realizing his slip, Kaiba took a moment to compose himself and gather his thoughts. "Don't worry about it," Kaiba told him, wanting to be done with the awkward conversation. Even when Ogata wasn't around, he still found a way to cause problems.

"Are you going to try and ban me from seeing him again?" Yami asked, still not entirely comfortable with dropping the subject.

"What's the point?" Kaiba asked as he ran his fingers through his hair before dropping his arm back down onto the bed. "Neither one of you would listen to me, anyway."

"Is that the only reason why?"

"No," Kaiba admitted with another soft sigh, uncomfortable with the thought of them, but recognizing that there was nothing he could do about it. "But I swear, if he ever touches you—ever does _anything_ to you—"

"He's not going to," Yami confidently predicted, knowing that for all of Ogata's talk, he was loyal and respectful enough to not do such a thing. "Besides, I don't know why you're so worried. I'm with you and it's not like he's interested in me like that, anyway."

Rolling his eyes at Yami's naivety, Kaiba scornfully said, "That doesn't matter. He's interested in anyone pretty that has a pulse."

"Wait, did you just call me _pretty_?" Yami asked with a laugh, thoroughly amused by the way Kaiba blanched slightly at the slip up in phrase.

"Whatever," Kaiba dismissively responded, displeased by the way Yami was still snickering. "I don't know why you're so damned amused."

Even though the issue hadn't exactly been resolved, Yami felt like the tension had at the very least been alleviated. He knew that the issue was bigger than just a jealous insecurity, but Yami also knew that Kaiba wouldn't open up about it until he was ready. "I just am," Yami finally said before kissing Kaiba one more time and then sliding off of him and out of bed before impishly adding, "plus it means he'd be interested in you, too."

"Wait, are you calling _me_ pretty?" Kaiba indignantly demanded as he followed Yami into the bathroom for some retribution.

"Yeah, what about it?" Yami purred with a playful wink.

"Get back here," Kaiba growled as Yami disappeared into the shower with a laugh, turning on the water. "You do _not_ get to call me that!"

Despite the earlier heaviness of their evening, Yami felt relieved to see the almost playful look in Kaiba's eyes that obliterated the earlier traces of shadows. It encouraged him to continue teasing, "Does 'handsome' make you feel more masculine?"

Kaiba knew that he had gotten off easy, which naturally made him somewhat suspicious. However, Yami genuinely seemed okay and that was all that mattered to Kaiba as he tried to restart their evening on a better note, indulging in passionate kiss once he finally captured the former pharaoh and murmured, "I'll show you what makes me feel more masculine..."

Yami's laugh melted into a moan as Kaiba's hands started to wander, making good on his promise.

* * *

**A/N:** And after a ridiculous delay, this concludes this arc of Entangled. I know it took a long time, far longer than any three chapter fic has ever taken me, and I apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience. This story has a lot of strange associations for me because of what I was going through when I was writing it, which is a terrible reason not to update it, but a lot has changed for me since then. I guess we should all just be glad I don't post at this speed on my regular stories, ne?

I know some of you probably think that I've abandoned this series, but that is completely untrue. I still have a lot of plans for this series, but I want to finish AA and Forbidden before returning to this one properly.

So unfortunately, I can't give a specific date for the next update to this series, but I can tell you that **Entangled Series 10** will be a oneshot that is very, "Awww," worthy. It is yet untitlted, but the barebones plot is that Kaiba gives Yami a _very_ special gift. Definitely a story for the romantics to enjoy.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer, though. Summer is just around the corner, so I should be freeing up some more time to write without the commute and classes to eat up so much time.

Anyway, **Sunday, May 2nd**, will be the next chapter of **Forbidden**, so if you're following that story, it's going to be a major turning point in the story.


End file.
